Distinguished Chair, fellow delegates,

The Philippines acknowledges and appreciates the Chair's recognition of the potential effectiveness of scenario-based discussions in deepening our understanding of the application of international law in the realm of cybersecurity. We firmly believe that such an approach offers a practical means for Member States to explore and appreciate how existing international law concepts and doctrines operate in varying scenarios, thereby identifying potential gaps in our collective understanding.

In line with this commitment, the Philippines, in collaboration with Australia and Uruguay, is pleased to announce a side event titled "International Law – as an effective toolkit" during the upcoming Seventh Substantive Session of the UN Cyber OEWG. The event is scheduled for tomorrow, 6 March 2024 at the Australian Mission, Monash Room.

This workshop-style side event aims to facilitate a nuanced discussion on the application of international law in cyberspace. Attendees will be engaged in small group discussions, employing a case study format to explore how various bodies of international law could be applied and serve as an effective toolkit for victim States responding to malicious cyber conduct.

The Philippines sees this side event as a small but meaningful contribution to the growing call from states for scenario-based training on the application of international law in the use and security of ICTs. As we explore this avenue, we draw attention to the CYBER LAW TOOL KIT developed by Nukib, ICRC, CCDCOE, University of Exeter, the US Naval War College, and Wuhan University that my delegation took notice after reading through the Mapping Exercise paper circulated by the Secretariat last week. This resource presents various scenarios which the OEWG can take into consideration in future design of cyber capacity building workshops in international law. These scenarios includes but are not limited to  election interference,  cyberespionage against government developments, economic cyberespionage, cyber operation against the power grid, Leak of state-developed hacking tools,  cyber countermeasures against an enabling state, legal review of cyber weapons, sale of surveillance tools in defiance of international sanctions, ransomware campaign, cyber operations against medical facilities, misattribution caused by deception, and cyber attacks against ships on the high seas, among others.

In light of the above, the Philippines extends, once again, a warm invitation to all delegations to attend our informative and interactive side event. We believe that shared insights and collaborative efforts are essential in advancing our collective understanding of the complex intersection between international law and the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity.

Thank you, and we look forward to your participation.